diff --git a/tableau-server-GUI-tests/pom.xml b/tableau-server-GUI-tests/pom.xml
index 7934f15..14b34f4 100644
--- a/tableau-server-GUI-tests/pom.xml
+++ b/tableau-server-GUI-tests/pom.xml
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@
 				<artifactId>maven-failsafe-plugin</artifactId>
 				<version>3.0.0-M5</version>
 				<configuration>
-					<systemPropertiesFile>${project.basedir}/src/test/resources/credentials.properties</systemPropertiesFile>
 					<systemPropertyVariables>
 						<java.util.logging.config.file>src/test/resources/logging.properties</java.util.logging.config.file>
 					</systemPropertyVariables>
diff --git a/tableau-server-GUI-tests/src/test/java/com/exasol/tableau/TableauServerConfiguration.java b/tableau-server-GUI-tests/src/test/java/com/exasol/tableau/TableauServerConfiguration.java
index 36c0a40..f9cdd3b 100644
--- a/tableau-server-GUI-tests/src/test/java/com/exasol/tableau/TableauServerConfiguration.java
+++ b/tableau-server-GUI-tests/src/test/java/com/exasol/tableau/TableauServerConfiguration.java
@@ -1,12 +1,32 @@
 package com.exasol.tableau;
 
+import java.io.*;
+import java.util.Properties;
+
 class TableauServerConfiguration {
     static final int TABLEAU_PORT = 8080;
     static final int TABLEAU_MAPPED_PORT = 33445;
     static final int EXASOL_PORT = 8563;
     static final int EXASOL_MAPPED_PORT = 33446;
     static final String TABLEAU_SERVER_DOCKER_IMAGE = "tablau_server_with_exasol_drivers:latest";
-    static final String TABLEAU_USERNAME = System.getProperty("TABLEAU_USERNAME");
-    static final String TABLEAU_PASSWORD = System.getProperty("TABLEAU_PASSWORD");
-    static final String TABLEAU_LICENSE_KEY = System.getProperty("TABLEAU_LICENSE_KEY");
+
+    private static final Properties PROPERTIES = readProperties("/credentials.properties");
+
+    static final String TABLEAU_USERNAME = PROPERTIES.getProperty("TABLEAU_USERNAME");
+    static final String TABLEAU_PASSWORD = PROPERTIES.getProperty("TABLEAU_PASSWORD");
+    static final String TABLEAU_LICENSE_KEY = PROPERTIES.getProperty("TABLEAU_LICENSE_KEY");
+
+    private static Properties readProperties(final String resource) {
+        final Properties properties = new Properties();
+        try (InputStream stream = TableauServerConfiguration.class.getResourceAsStream(resource)) {
+            if (stream == null) {
+                throw new AssertionError("Resource '" + resource + "' not found on classpath");
+            }
+            properties.load(stream);
+        } catch (final IOException exception) {
+            throw new UncheckedIOException("Error reading resource " + resource + " from classpath", exception);
+        }
+        return properties;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/tableau-server-GUI-tests/src/test/java/com/exasol/tableau/TableauServerSetUp.java b/tableau-server-GUI-tests/src/test/java/com/exasol/tableau/TableauServerSetUp.java
index c4ef6ef..d661a12 100644
--- a/tableau-server-GUI-tests/src/test/java/com/exasol/tableau/TableauServerSetUp.java
+++ b/tableau-server-GUI-tests/src/test/java/com/exasol/tableau/TableauServerSetUp.java
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 package com.exasol.tableau;
 
 import static com.exasol.tableau.TableauServerConfiguration.*;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.file.*;
 import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 
@@ -16,6 +18,9 @@ public class TableauServerSetUp {
     private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(TableauServerSetUp.class.getName());
     private static final String REQUESTED_LEASE_TIME_IN_SECONDS = "60";
 
+    private static final Path ODBC_CONNECTOR_FILE = Paths.get("target/exasol_odbc.taco").toAbsolutePath();
+    private static final Path JDBC_CONNECTOR_FILE = Paths.get("target/exasol_jdbc.taco").toAbsolutePath();
+
     public static GenericContainer<?> TABLEAU_SERVER_CONTAINER = new GenericContainer<>(TABLEAU_SERVER_DOCKER_IMAGE)
             .withExposedPorts(TABLEAU_PORT)//
             .withCreateContainerCmdModifier(cmd -> cmd.withHostConfig(new HostConfig().withPortBindings(
@@ -25,14 +30,21 @@ public class TableauServerSetUp {
             .withEnv("LICENSE_KEY", TABLEAU_LICENSE_KEY) //
             .withEnv("REQUESTED_LEASE_TIME", REQUESTED_LEASE_TIME_IN_SECONDS) //
             .waitingFor(Wait.forLogMessage(".*INFO exited: run-tableau-server.*", 1)) //
+            // INFO exited: run-tableau-server (exit status 0; expected)
             .withStartupTimeout(Duration.ofMinutes(40)) //
             .withReuse(true);
 
     public static void setUpServer() throws UnsupportedOperationException, IOException, InterruptedException {
+        checkPreconditions();
         startContainer();
         setUpConnector();
     }
 
+    private static void checkPreconditions() {
+        assertFileExists(ODBC_CONNECTOR_FILE);
+        assertFileExists(JDBC_CONNECTOR_FILE);
+    }
+
     private static void startContainer() {
         TABLEAU_SERVER_CONTAINER.start();
     }
@@ -45,12 +57,19 @@ private static void setUpConnector() throws UnsupportedOperationException, IOExc
 
     private static void copyConnectorsToServer() {
         LOGGER.info("Copying the connectors to Tableau Server");
-        TABLEAU_SERVER_CONTAINER.copyFileToContainer(MountableFile.forHostPath("target/exasol_odbc.taco"),
+        assertFileExists(ODBC_CONNECTOR_FILE);
+        assertFileExists(JDBC_CONNECTOR_FILE);
+        TABLEAU_SERVER_CONTAINER.copyFileToContainer(MountableFile.forHostPath(ODBC_CONNECTOR_FILE),
                 "/var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/vizqlserver/Connectors/exasol_odbc.taco");
-        TABLEAU_SERVER_CONTAINER.copyFileToContainer(MountableFile.forHostPath("target/exasol_jdbc.taco"),
+        TABLEAU_SERVER_CONTAINER.copyFileToContainer(MountableFile.forHostPath(JDBC_CONNECTOR_FILE),
                 "/var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/vizqlserver/Connectors/exasol_jdbc.taco");
     }
 
+    private static void assertFileExists(final Path path) {
+        assertTrue(Files.exists(path),
+                "Connector not found at " + path + ". Run 'package_connector.sh' to generate it.");
+    }
+
     private static void disableConnectorSignatureVerification() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
         LOGGER.info("Disabling connectors signature");
         TABLEAU_SERVER_CONTAINER.execInContainer("tsm", "configuration", "set", "-k",